KerStitch Designs

Materials Used by KerStitch Designs for Jewellery and Beaded Accessories

Premium Material Choices Available from KerStitch Designs

The following options are available for heirloom-quality jewellery and accessories by KerStitch Designs.

Silver

Any combination of:

Sterling Silver:

92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper or other alloy. Sterling silver will “patina” in time, withexposure to air, and must be polished to maintain a shiny appearance. It may also be allowed to age for an “antique” look.

and/or

Argentium® Silver:

Also 92.5% pure silver, but germanium replaces 1.2% of the copper normally found in sterling silver. This makes Argentium® silver much more tarnish-resistant than sterling silver. The cost is about 15% higher than sterling silver, but well worth it when you consider the time and expense of polishing sterling silver. Argentium® is especially good for intricate work such as chain mail or when used with delicate materials such as pearls, which can be damaged by jewellery cleaners intended for sterling silver.

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Gold

Gold-Filled:

Abbreviated “GF,” also called “rolled gold.” A layer or layers of gold alloy are bonded with heat and pressure to a base metal (usually brass). The amount of karat gold in an item stamped“GF” must equal at least 1/20 the weight of the total item. 12kt GF is the most common, with 10kt and 14kt also available. The layer of gold on gold-filled items is 50 to 100,000 times thicker than simple gold plating, extending the lifetime of the piece by many years.

Due to the volatile price of gold, Vermeil (sterling silver, heavily electroplated with 22kt yellow gold) and Karat Gold (10kt -24kt) is only available by special order and requires a down payment.

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Other Beads

Swarovski® crystals, pearls and components, Japanese glass seed beads, semi-precious stones. Natural, undyed semi-precious stones are used when possible.

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Budget Material Choices Available from KerStitch Designs

When you don't want to pay prices for heirloom-quality jewellery and accessories, the following options are available:

Gold Tone or Gold Colour:

Any combination of Gold-Plate: A base metal electroplated with an industry standard of .15 to . 25 mils thickness of gold and/or Gold-Finished: a base metal (brass or steel) electroplated with a non-standard thickness of gold.

Note: Ear-wires are gold-plate.

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Silver Tone or Silver Colour:

Usually any combination of Silver, Nickel or Rhodium Plate: A base metal (brass or steel) electroplated to an industry standard of .15 to .25 mils thickness with silver, nickel or rhodium.

Note: Ear-wires are hypoallergenic Surgical Steel.

Memory wire may be Stainless Steel, Carbon Steelor Silver-Plated Steel.

Pewter:

An alloy of 85-99% tin, with copper, antimony and sometimes lead as hardeners. KerStitch Designs uses lead-free pewter sparingly in some charms and clasps.

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Copper Colour:

A mid-range-priced metal. Can be any combination of Pure Copper, Copper-Plated Brass with a non-tarnish coating or Copper Craft Wire (copper wire with nylon coating to prevent tarnishing).

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Other Beads:

Czech fire-polished glass, Czech glass seed beads (may be mixed with Japanese). Some semi-precious stones.

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For information on Custom Orders with these materials, see Custom Orders.